William Oscar Rinker

William “Billy” O. Rinker, 92, of Petersburg, VA passed away on Sunday, February 2, 2020. He was the son of the late Mrs. Blanche A. Rinker and Mr. Oscar A. Rinker. He is preceded in death by his devoted wife, Shirley T. Rinker. He is survived by his daughter, Barbara Ann Rinker.
Bill’s dedicated and persevering work ethic and service to family, friends and local community developed early as a student and athlete at Petersburg High School. As a student, he delivered newspapers every morning and held various jobs to support his education goals and family. Bill was an accomplished athlete on Petersburg High School’s athletic teams: football (played center), tennis and baseball. Upon graduation, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. After service, he attended The College of William & Mary and graduated from Smithdeal Massey Business College in Richmond, VA. He was a well-respected business manager with Barksdale Oils Inc. for many years. He served his local community as a Boy Scout leader, sports coach, civic member and leader of Washington Street United Methodist Church, on education scholarship committees, and in his local neighborhood. Together with his wife and other volunteers, he led Cosmopolitan International’s Club of Petersburg’s Diabetes Detection Clinic educating, advocating and serving those impacted by diabetes. Bill also enjoyed meeting with Petersburg High School’s alumni (POGO). Bill maintained a healthy lifestyle and was very active, walking several miles a day (greeting neighbors and friends of all ages), playing tennis, golf, baseball/softball and bowled.
Visitation is from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 8, 2020 with a service to follow at the Petersburg Chapel of J.T. Morriss & Son Funeral Home. A graveside service will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 13, 2020 at Blandford Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be donated to Southside Virginia Emergency Crew (SVEC), P.O. Box 574, Petersburg, VA 23804, The Boy Scouts of America, or to the education fund of choice.